Tattoos and Woos
by sparkly-eyebrows
Summary: Working in the shop next to an annoying golden boy is bad enough. Living next across from him as well, you could say that its a little bit more than unfortunate, especially when he's intent on never leaving you alone. AU, book parings for the most part.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All the characters of the mortal instruments series belong to Cassandra Clare, not me, much to my dismay.**

**P.S. Not sure if I should continue this or not and where it should go. Feel free to message me with ideas. :)**

A soft ring signaled someone entering my shop.

"Did it hurt; when you fell from heaven?" A voice asked, accompanied by the light padding of foot steps.

"No, but I did scrape my hand crawling out of hell." I replied. "Look." I pointed to my palm where I had indeed scraped my had, though not from exiting the pits of hell and more from tripping and just barely stopping myself from face planting. Details.

"Aww Red do you need me to kiss it better?" The golden boy in front of me asked, pushing out his bottom lip in an exaggerated 'sympathetic' way. His nose had turned a light pink from the unfortunate frost that had been haunting Brooklyn for the past few days.

"What do you want Jace?" I sighed looking through my desk any reasonably empty sketch pad.

"Well you see, I was looking for inspiration for my next tattoo and I thought 'Hey! My neighbor and bestest friend is an artist. Why don't I pay her a visit!'"

"Oh and who is she?" I feigned curiosity.

"I'm hurt Red. Really, truly hurt. Do _you_ not think that we're bff's?" He leaned down, resting an elbow on top of my desk. Jace brought one of his hands to his hair, caught a strand and started to twirling it around his finger in a stereotypical girly fashion.

I rolled my eyes and looked back to the desk that I had previously been raiding.

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed, pulling out my sketch pad that had (of course) decided to hide at the bottom of my desk. Organizing my desk should probably have been a priority though why would I waste my energy on that when I could do more productive things like make an even bigger mess.

I flipped to an empty page and began doodling. Jace sighed, clearly disappointed the my full attention wasn't focused on him.

"Lets get food. I'm hungry." He whined.

"Don't you like, I don't know, have a business to run or something?"

"Yeah, but I have all of my appointments scheduled meaning I can leave. Plus, Izzy's there so she can call me if anything. And come on Red" He raised an eyebrow. "You know you don't want to pass up the opportunity to spend lunch with me."

I gave him a look I hoped came across as 'Get the hell out of my shop'

He sighed for what I'm sure was the hundredth time and took out his wallet. "Okay fine what if I pay."

My ears perked up at the words and I pretended to hesitate before grabbing my jacket and walking out the door

"You own me one. No, more than one, this is starting to become a daily occurrence."

I simply snorted in response.

* * *

As usual, we ended up at Taki's, a scrappy little restaurant just down the street from where we both worked. It may not look like much, but damn did they make good food.

Jace and I grabbed a booth against the wall sitting opposite from each other.

"So, Red." Jace leaned across the table. "What do you think?"

"Hmmm?" I responded, paying more attention to the menu in front of me than him.

"The new tattoo I wanted to get. What do you think."

"You should get an ass tattooed, it would really reflect your true self."

"You wound me Clarissa! What would your mother say about you using that kind of language?"

"Directed toward you? She would probably pat me on the back."

Whatever retort Jace came up with was cut off by a waitress I hadn't yet seen coming to our table. Probably new. She took his order and wrote it down on a little pad she pulled out of her front pocket. She then turned to me, batted her eyelashes, and asked what I might like. I ordered a stack of coconut pancakes that I sometimes got and coffee. As she left Jace turned to me yet again.

"You're supposed to be a fancy artist help me out here, what tattoo."

"Get my name." I replied with a challenging gaze.

"Don't test me." He returned.

We gazed at each other for a moment before the waitress came back with our food. We ate in silence for the most part other then a few unnecessary comments from Jace.

Our waitress eventually came back, Helen, her name tag read telling us that our meals were on the house before winking at me and walking away. I heard someone from the counter yell "Helen stop flirting with other people." as we got up to leave, to which Helen replied "Yes honey." and laughed.

Jace and I walked back to our stores still bantering about his tattoo before getting fed up with him and shutting my door on him.


	2. Chapter 2

As much as I loved working for myself and spending my day drawing with a legitimate excuse, nothing could beat going home and relaxing alone. That is, when I could be alone.

As I stepped into my cramped apartment, a voice called out. "Clarissa Adele Fray where the hell did you hide your Doritos!"

"There's a reason they're hidden Si!" I yelled back, walking into my kitchen to see my best friend of many years, Simon Lewis, surrounded by almost every cabinet or drawer in the room hanging open.

"We've been friends for so long that you don't even trust me with your food? I'm hurt, I really am." I rolled my eyes to this and pulled the bag of chips out from behind the microwave. He smiled and made his way to the living room before plopping down on the couch and opening it.

"You know Si" I started. "There's this really cool thing called a grocery store where you can go and buy _your own _food. You should totally check it out sometime."

"Nah."

"You know, sometimes I regret giving you a key to my apartment."

"No you don't."

I huffed and made my way over to the couch as well, ready to watch whatever stupid movie we could find on netflix when my buzzer rang. I made my way to the door stopping to ask who was there to which I got a lovely 'Let me in the damn apartment I'm gonna freeze my ass off."

After buzzing the person in, I walked back to the couch, reclaiming the chips that were in fact mine, not Simons, and turning on the tv. A minute later I heard the door open and a very grumpy Isabelle enter the apartment. She took of her coat and walked into the living room, planting herself across a sofa chair, long legs spilling over the armrest. Immediately, Simon straightened his back and pushed the chip bag onto my lap. Not that I was complaining or anything because finally they were mine again. I snickered at Simon before turning to Izzy.

"What's wrong?" I asked raising both eyebrows because I _still_ couldn't raise just the one.

"So this guy came in to the tattoo shop today" She started. "And like my instincts told me like 'this man is no good' and stuff. Anyways, he comes up to me and starts talking about how its not appropriate for a woman to be in a tattoo shop and stuff and here I'm thinking like did he just come out of the fourties or something like what the hell! And _ttthhhheeeennnnnnnn, _he sees one of my tattoos poking out from my shirt and tells me its not _ladylike._ Like you know what _is _ladylike, me kicking your ass out of here so like he leaves and all right but like _UGH."_

During Izzy's rant, Simon had gone to the kitchen, returning with a bowl of icecream and a spoon. He handed it to her, getting a smile in return before sitting back down. For a good half hour, we discussed how big of a dick the guy was before settling down again.

The rest of the night was spent watching cheesy movies like 'The Princess Bride' and 'Moonrise Kingdom' while eating whatever food I had lying around. Around three in the morning we finally fell asleep in whatever position we ended up in on the couch.

* * *

I woke up at around 11 the next day to Izzy arguing about cereal with someone. Ignoring the fact that I probably had major bedhead, I walked into the kitchen to find her sitting across the table from Jace and Simon leaning against the counter snickering at me.

"Well well, sleeping beauty has finally awoken. Who kissed you?"

"Shut up Simon." I mumbled before getting myself a cup of already brewed coffee.

"Wait, does that mean that you're cheating on me Red? How could you!" Jace lifted a hand to where his heart would be if he had one.

"First of all, which of you let him in." I pointed and accusing finger at both Izzy and Simon. "I already have to deal with him bugging me at work I deserve a break."

"Hey!"

"Second, no insulting me without telling me an hour in advance so that I can come up with a retort you know this guys."

"Yeah yeah, so what are we doing today?" Simon asked. Before I could respond Izzy cut in.

"We're going shopping because I swear Clary you have like, two shirts. Now that I think about it you are sorely lacking in multiple clothing departments. So anyways that's what we're doing I don't know about you guys."

I looked to Simon for help fully knowing what kind of hell I would go through if Izzy dragged me to the mall. He just laughed and look away.

"Well I wouldn't want to miss the chance to see you force Red into whatever clothes you choose so I guess I'm coming along as well." Jace answered.

I momentarily glare at him before grinning.

"And we all know that Simon would dare miss the chance to hand out with Iz-." Simon must have caught on to what I was saying because before I could finish the sentence he was behind me, a hand over my mouth. I laughed into it before sticking my tongue out, effectively causing him to move away, back to his original spot.

Izzy raised an eyebrow at the two of us, and then asked Simon if he did want to go. He mumbled a yes and Izzy commanded me to take a shower and change into something "presentable". I huffed before doing what she said and going to find clothes.


	3. Chapter 3

Groaning, I fell face first on my couch. That was the last time I'd ever go shopping with Izzy again I promised myself, knowing fully well that she would drag me out again within the week.

"Aww come on Clary it wasn't thaaaat bad."

"Easy for you to say Si, you just followed Izzy around like a lost puppy."

He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, remarkably resembling a fish, before giving up and turning around to my kitchen.

"I agree Clare-bear it wasn't that bad."

"Don't you even start Jace." I frowned.

"Look at the bright side Clary." Izzy said walking in. "You have a bunch of new cute bras now."

"Do you now, well I want to see."

"Jace!" I groaned into a pillow.

"Yes Clarrisa?"

Though I did hate spending four hours walking around the mall, trying around every article of clothing in the building, I refused to admit to Iz that I actually did like most of the clothes I got today (save a few that she had forced me to get.)

"I hate all of you." I declared, getting off the couch and moving to my bedroom. I started putting my new items of clothing away when Simon came in.

"Hey Claire-bear what movie do you want to watch, Izzy and Jace left."

"The Avengers?" I looked up at him hopefully. He just grinned down at me in agreement even though we had seen the movie over a hundred times already. We went back to the living room where I proceeded to put the dvd into the player before settling down on the couch.

The Avengers became Captain America, and many more before I finally felt exhaustion overtake me. I cuddled closer to Simon and fell into a quiet, shopping induced sleep

The next morning I woke up with an awful crink in my neck from falling asleep in the wrong position. Getting out of my warm nest on the couch, I moved to the kitchen where Simon was eating breakfast, attempting to work out the muscles in my neck. He'd made him self coffee, leaving one for me as well, knowing fully well how much I would need it.

"So what are your plans for today?" He asked over a mouthful of cereal.

"Shhhhhhh no words till coffee." I shushed, nursing my cup.

Simon seemed anxious as we ate, tapping his foot on the floor and fidgeting. The moment that I finished drinking he nervously cleared his throat and looked at his now empty bowl.

"So ah, I'mgoingovertoIzzy'shousetodayandyourcomingwithme."

"Wait what?" I asked shaking my head.

"Um so I'm going over to Izzy's house to meet her parents and I said that you were gonna come too." He nervously looked at me.

"Si we've been to her house a thousand times before I don't see what the- wait wait to meet her parents? Why would you need to- oh my god are you two dating?"

Simon blushed.

"Wait when did this happen? And Simon Lewis why are you only telling me now."

"We kinda kissed like a week ago but decided not to say anything yet just in case. And well she decided that today I was finally going to have to meet her parents then."

The Lightwood parents were always away on business trips and were hardly ever home. I'd been to there house hundreds of times but I could count the number of times I'd talked to them on my one hand. Simon though, had never met them and from the stories he'd heard about them, he had a reason to be nervous. _And_ considering that the first time he would talk to them would be as the boyfriend to their only daughter, well if I were in his shoes I would be trembling like a dog.

"Okay fine I'll go. One, because this is gonna be hilarious I already know, and two, I need to pay you back for getting me out that awkward conversation with one of my customers yesterday." I shuddered at the memory of having to explain to a sweet old lady exactly why I often draw nude portraits.

"Awesome, you're the best!" He exclaimed kissing my cheek as he walked past me to the door.

"Yeah, yeah Lewis go already would ya."

He chuckled quietly closing the door behind him.

Whelp finally some alone time I thought returning to my living room. Maybe I'll take a nice bath, pamper myself. I might go crazy and use a bath bomb too. Hell yeah I'll use one why not. I walked to the bathroom grabbing my laptop on the way and choosing a random playlist.

I'd just settled down into the multi-coloured bath of happiness when the doorbell rang. 'Cause I can't just soak in the water and enjoy nooooo of course not. Sighing I got up, pulling a robe over myself and going to the front door. Just as I opened it, fully ready to curse the day of my intruders birth, said intruder abruptly let themselves in and sat on my couch. Closing the door I turned around to see Jace sprawled out on it smirking to himself.

"How did you know I would come over. Or were you just hoping?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh how did you know." I rolled my eyes. "Anyways I need you to leave."

"Yeah but I got locked out of my apartment so I have nowhere else to go." He looked me in the eyes trying to give me the 'poor puppy' face.

I sighed making him grin before replying. "Well then you'll just have to wait in the hall till I'm done."

That wiped the smirk off his face.

"But….." He protested as I made shooing motions at him. He groaned, getting up and opening the door.

"Fine but can you hurry?"

"Yeah of course I will." I replied, quickly closing the door after him before he could see my smirk.

Like hell I wasn't going to take purposely longer.


End file.
